Twisted
by Madeleine DeAngelo
Summary: Hope and Vikram: Once sweethearts, now bitter enemies. Why? Amy and Ian: Once bitter enemies, now sweethearts. Now what? Future Cahills: Let's find out!
1. The Meeting

***Ducks* Guys! Seriously! I knew I'd get hit by fruits, but **_**guns?**_** Oh, wait, you guys are non-Lucians. That makes sense ;) Anyway, this is not TOTALLY about Hope and Vikram, like a PART of the summary says. So, basically, three or four chapters are going to be about Hope, Vikram, Arthur and Isabel, and the next three/four chapters are about Amy, Ian, Natalie, Dan, AND Reagan (sorry to those fans who don't like Dan and Reagan, I just don't really like Dan and Natalie :( Sorry!). And THEN, the next chapters are going to be about the future generation of Cahills. I ALSO KNOW that I said I'd be working on a Crossover, and I will, just not now. And as you know, Goldie and I are also working on something. Just for now, I'm doing this, so shush and enjoy! Oh, and sorry if it sucks, because I wanted to try out first-person, and I'm not that used to it anymore :)**

**Hope's POV **

Being fourteen wasn't easy.

And now, me being seventeen, I think this age isn't easy. Especially if you have to hunt for the 39 Clues. While being in high school. Take it from me, if you ever get a choice to plant explosives in the Lucian stronghold in Paris, or go to high school, choose the first, it's easiest.

Of course, you _still_ get insulted by a Madrigal member if you don't do the job well done.

"Move it, nerd-o," Brian, the big jock, said, shoving me.

"Nerd-o isn't a word," I automatically said, mentally burning myself. I just confirmed his nickname. Brian laughed, a boom that you could hear all the way to South Africa. He stopped, suddenly, and leaned in.

"Don't mock me, Cahill, I'm not in the best mood."

"What happened?" I asked, not expecting an answer. So you could feel my surprise when Brian gave me one.

"Jessica broke up with me. It's that new kid, Victor Kabra, I think. All the girls are falling head over heels when he passes by. Some douche," Brian muttered. He narrowed his eyes on me. "No mocking, get it? Or you'll definitely get it." Brian left in a huff, leaving me to wonder when he and Jessica had started dating.

"_Vikram _Kabra, actually," a handsome British voice said behind me. I turned and gasped slightly. He _was_ something to look at...Did I say that? Hopefully, no one in my family chipped me. "I'm afraid that Brian and I aren't, well, off to a good start." He held out his hand. "You are?"

"H-Hope C-Ca-Cahill," I answered, stuttering like an idiot. Vikram raised an eyebrow. I thought I saw shock in his face, but it disappeared quickly, which made me think I had imagined it.

"Cahill, eh? Beautiful name," he said. "Say, would you show me around the school? The girls here are...er, they are sort of always distracted."

"No problem," I told him, smiling, gone of stutters. "I have history now, so..."

"I have history, too."

"Great." While we started walking, a nagging feeling came behind my back. _Kabra..._It sounded so familiar, that I couldn't remember why I forgot it. I think my mother had been talking about it.

History, of course, was a little weird. Three guesses. 1) Vikram Kabra. 2) Vikram Kabra. 3) Fudge. Fudge? Wait, yeah. Our teacher bought chocolate fudge for us. But really, it was the first two. Or one.

"Benjamin Franklin's history wasn't complete," Vikram argued.

"Of course not. We don't have enough evidence that he was even in the country at that time," Mrs. Wight said.

"He _was_, in fact. But did you - or the textbook - ever think that maybe he just wasn't important at that time until he did some other..._lovely_ thing?" Vikram asked. **(Now we all know where 'lovely' came from :D) **

"Very good insight, Vikram, but I assure you - "

"Will you consider it?" Kabra's eyes were paralyzing poor Ms. Wight, I could tell. She wasn't used to being charmed by a seventeen year old handsome nerd boy. And that was only one example of Vikram's weirdness.

During science was another thing.

Don't make me give the example.

By the end of the day, Vikram and I were as close as ever.

"You really outsmarted the teachers," I said, trying to sound friendly instead of awkward. I struggled to keep my hood on, trying to keep at least my head dry from the rain. Stupid me, I should've brought the car and an umbrella.

"Thank you, I think."

"It was a compliment." I walked him over to his car. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course." Vikram frowned. "Are you going to walk home?" He asked, almost as if he were scolding me.

"Yes?"

"No, you're not. I'll drive you to your home," he offered.

"Oh, no! It's not a problem!"

"Please, I would feel guilty not seeing you tomorrow, down with a fever all because I had let you walk home by yourself in the rain." Since he insisted so much, I got in his shiny Volvo. I gave him the directions, but he stopped me.

"A cousin of mines...developed this." Vikram gestured his hand towards the GPS. It had directions to everyone's houses in Boston.

"It looks like something my cousin Alistair would do," I blurted out, without thinking.

"Alistair? How queer, my cousins name is also Alistair," Vikram said, chuckling. I laughed along. Vikram arrived at my mansion.

"Big house," he said. "Of course, mines is bigger," Vikram added, grinning. I playfully and gently shoved him.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Of course. See you tomorrow...Hope _Cahill_." Vikram drove off. It wasn't until later I wondered how he had emphasized my last name.

**(Inside)**

"Hope! Hope!" Mom yelled.

"Mom, I'm home...what is it?" I asked.

"Who...who was that inside the car?" My mom looked like me, a lot. I always joked that my daughter would probably be her doppelganger.

"A new kid. I forgot my car and-"

"What's his name?"

"Why?"

"He seems so familiar..."

"I know! He said his name was Vikram. Then he said Kabra, and I was thinking 'Whoa, that sounds _so_ familiar'. And then I'm like, 'Nah. I would know if he were a Cahill.' And then-"

"Hope! Vikram Kabra _is_ a Cahill."

I gasped. "No way!"

"Yes!"

"Mom!"

"What? Did he do something to you?"

"No! But maybe something happened to _you_!" Mom's mouth dropped open.

"What?"

"Did you fall or something, while grating the carrots?"

"No-"

"Mom...Vick's not a Cahill. He's just a rich, charming, nerd boy who-"

"Hope, please. Listen to me." Sometimes, I wondered if my Mom was _the_ Grace Cahill that everyone talked about. The girl who drove an airplane straight into war when she was thirteen. Mom could be such a softie sometimes. "Hope, don't you remember? Answell Kabra."

"Kabra is a common name."

"But rich? _Kabra,_ who has a GPS developed by his _cousin_?"

"Oh, yeah! It was _so_ funny when I told him my cousins name is Alistair, and his cousin too-" My mouth dropped open. Mom looked satisfied, as if she retrieved all 39 Clues. "Kabra! Cahill! British! I fell for my own cousin!"

"You _fell _for him?" I slapped my forehead.

"Seriously, Mom, are you that clueless?"

"No, as far as I know, I helped the Madrigals learn where some clues-"

"Clueless!" As I started going upstairs, I heard her mutter,

"Teenagers these days." I could practically feel her shaking her head.

**(Hope's Bedroom)**

I had just finished my homework when my cell phone started to buzz.

"Hello?"

"Hullo? Hope?"

"Who is- whoa, Vick? How'd you get my number so fast?" Sweat started dripping down my palms.

"Girls would do anything for me," he replied, laughing.

"Funny." I meant it. Was he an Ekat, who developed a nuclear bomb and threatened the person? Or was he a Janus, who sang to them? A Tomas, who probably showed his ripped muscles. No! He's Answell's kid, which meant he was...was a...

"Hope? Hope, are you with me?"

"Yeah?" I choked out.

"Are you okay?"

"I am!" I insisted. Should I demand he tell the truth?

"No," a voice whispered. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Mom was standing right beside me. "Put it on speaker. Don't ask him."

"Did you chip-"

"Hope?"

"Here, Vikram," I said as Mom listened quietly.

"I was wondering if you would be able to go out to the...park, tomorrow?"

"Actually, I ca-"

"Say yes!" Mom hissed.

"Why?" I whispered.

"We need to find out about him. Where is Answell? Ask him where his family is!"

"Hey, Vick, so...did you come alone to Boston, or is your family here?" I asked as casually as I could.

"My father went into hiding-"

"Why?"

"It's, er, a _family_ matter." As if I'm not family.

"Sorry, and your mother?"

"She's in the hospital."

"Oh, no! What happened?"

"She went mad after father left."

"Aw..."

"You're family? What about _your_ father and mother?"

"Dad's dead. Mom...she's like my BFF," I said, smiling at Mom.

"Do you do any family activities?"

"We travel a lot..."

"Do you? Ask him!" Mom whispered.

"Do you?"

"Yes. Even with father gone, I have much things to take care of around the world."

"Oh," was all I could say. Here I was, talking with a handsome guy, who kind of asked me out, in front of my Mom. Who wouldn't say 'Oh'? In the background, I heard some things exploding.

"Sorry, Hope. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good bye."

"Bye." I hung up. I looked at my Mom. "So? What am I going to say at the park?"

"Flirt with him," Mom suddenly said. "Get him to start liking you."

"Nah, Lucian's usually do that," I protested.

"Okay. He'll try to charm you like a snake. You make him really fall for you."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes! It shouldn't be so hard...would it?"

Yeah, Mom, it would.

**(Tomorrow at the Park)**

I wore my best outfit.

Actually, to be honest, Mom picked it out. _'As cute as Beatrice when she was younger!' _That was Mom, always replacing cliché's with my relatives. _'As close as Jane and Luke Cahill.' 'As smart as Alistair Oh.' 'Insulting as Shakespeare.'_ Those were just a few. Oh, and my personal favorite, _'For Madeleine Cahill's sake!'_ I laughed quietly to myself.

"What's so funny?" Vikram asked, smiling.

"Oh...all the girls were giving me an evil eye at school."

"News travels fast here, eh?"

"Yep." Vikram suddenly, but gently, grabbed my hand. _Hey, Mom. _I knew she chipped me.

_How did you know? _Mom's voice said.

_I think he's trying to charm me._

_Charm him back._

_How?_

_All bad guys who attempt to get some information out of Cahills often falls in love with them instead. Didn't you know that? _That was what I was actually afraid of. 

_Oh, um, okay. _

"So, Vick," I started, smiling brilliantly. "Did you have any girlfriends?" Vikram raised an eyebrow.

_Nice one, Hope._

_Mom! I told you I can't do this!_

"No," Vikram said, shaking his head.

_Good, you're his first._

_If he's a Cahill, how do we know if he's telling the truth, Mom?_

"Did you have any suitors?"

"Suitors?" I mentally slapped my head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you." I keep forgetting you're British, Cahill. "Um, no."

"That's one similarity," Vikram says.

"Yeah."

_Yeah,_ Mom mimicked.

_I'd like to see _you_ talk this way._

_I did before._

_With Vick?_

_No! You're father!  
>Who was he again?<em>

_Hope..._

"Hope?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Are you okay? You seem a little distracted." I glanced at my watch.

"Sorry, I have to go!"

_Where?_

_Home._

_No you don't._

_Mom! I'm trying to make an excuse here!_

"Very sorry for that," Vikram says, with a smile. "I hope to see you next time?"

"Yep!" And for good measure, I kissed him on the cheek. "See ya!"

**(Back Home)  
><strong>"And you kissed him on the cheek? That wasn't what I had exactly meant, Hope," Mom said, pacing back and forth.

"Then what _did_ you mean?" I demanded. "Look, being a Cahill ruins everything for me. Why couldn't you just let Vikram be Vikram - non - Cahill, and - "

"Let him use you? See you with a broken heart?"

"Me? Broken heart? You _must_ know me better than that, Mom," I said, crossing my arms. Did she take me as a naive loser?

"Hope, it's not that..."

"Well, I have to make Vikram really like me, right? Trust me. Please, Mom, for once," I pleaded. Mom sighed, which meant a yes.

**How'd you guys like it? I'm not a Hope/Vikram fan, but still, just watch where this story goes :) **

**~Lean the Lucian (if I didn't mention it before, my name's pronounced Mah-dah-lean. Goldenheart11 decided the nickname :D) **


	2. The Reunion

**Hello, Ladies and Germs (Germs...especially if you broke a girls heart)! This is Agent Madeline DeAngelo reporting to you LIVE from...Switzerland! Okay, just kidding, but in a few days, I WILL. Right now, I'm still in New York in my cozy big home. Sigh. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I was REALLY excited about the reviews I got! Thanks guys! Make sure to read the story by Goldie and me! Enjoy!  
><strong>

Vikram's POV

"Mother, I assure you - "

"No, Vikram Kabra. You will _not_ break that girl's heart, _especially_ not hers," Mother insisted. I sighed. Mother wasn't a Cahill, and she would never understand the Cahill ways, Father had always told me. But part of me had always wondered...What would happen if I had followed her this time?

Hope's POV

When I saw Vick in the hallway, I knew something was wrong.

You see, I _know_ faces. Right now, his eyebrows were scrunched up, and he was frowning. Lucian's _never_ frowned. They were always too proud.

"Hey, Vikram!" I called. He didn't look up. "Vikram! Vicky!" I clenched my teeth. Girls in the hall started muttering my name and staring. "Vikram Kabra! Get your British butt over here!" This time he looked up, and all the worry lines disappeared into a smile.

"Beautiful morning, eh, Hope?" He said, walking over to my locker.

"Three days at Boston High, and you're already worrying about something? What's wrong?" What was wrong was that he still wasn't admitting he was a Cahill to make life easier for me.

"Nothing." Vikram frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Don't play games with me. I know people, and I know looks. I'm Madri - " I stopped myself from saying the word.

"Madri what?" Vikram asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Madri Certified," I finished. "Ever heard of Madri Co.? No? Shame, it's a very good company for...my family." Hint, hint, Vikram.

"Madri Co.? I've never...heard of it. And my family owns practically all the factories in the world," Vikram challenged. I ruffled his hair.

"Say what you want to make yourself feel better, Vick. _My_ family shapes human history."

"_My_ family includes Benjamin Franklin." I smiled. He landed exactly where I wanted him.

(**Three Months Later**)

"Merry Christmas!"

"Christmas?"

"Christmas!"

"Today?"

"Today!"

"No school?"

"Vikram!"

Vikram sighed. I imitated him.

"What's the matter? No school, there's snow, it's cold out, family reunions..."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about."

"Family reunions? Look, I'm not too excited, either. Most of the time, I'm away. Either I go to my Uncle's place, or...just go where I want. There was this one relative - " You're father, actually, Vikram. "Who scared me. His kid, too - " You, Vikram. "Started making fun of me." I pretended to frown deeply. "I don't remember the kid, strangely." Vikram smiled, and threaded his fingers through mine. Mom insisted that I start dating him. So it's been a month, now. Not that I ALWAYS faked smiles, and laughs, and kisses...They're just not from _my_ choice.

"Well...I got stuck going to the family reunion, as well. Maybe there is a way for both of us to...er, how do you American's say?"

"Ditch?" I offered.

"Exactly." He didn't know that I know that he's a Cahill, and he didn't know that I knew he wanted to ditch 'his' family reunion because he doesn't know that I know that he doesn't want to encounter me. I frowned. I wasn't making any sense, even while I'm thinking to myself.

"Sorry, but I can't ditch this one. And besides...I always like entertaining my relatives," I said, smiling.

"Well...I guess it will be a rough day for both of us tomorrow," Vikram said, matching my previous frown.

"I guess it will."

(**Tomorrow, at the family reunion**)

It was tomorrow.

I mean, it's today, but yesterday it was tomorrow.

Does that make sense? Didn't think so.

Relatives were pouring in. Uncle Fiske, of course, was hiding in the shadows.

"What's up, Uncle?" I whispered, walking over to him. He smiled.

"I heard you have a boyfriend? A Cahill boyfriend?"

"Talk to your sister about it, gosh, Mom can be _so_ demanding!" I complained.

"But it seems like you enjoy his company," Uncle Fiske said.

"Were you spying on me?"

"Perhaps."

"That is privacy!" I pondered for a moment. "Actually, it isn't. Dating Cobra is just a mission..._Cobra..._Kabra...Cobra...Whoa, I love that nickname," I muttered, walking away.

Finally, I saw Vikram's mother. She was a pretty women, and Mom always wondered why in the world she would marry a snake like Vikram's father. I remember when I was little, she would always bring candy...that Vick would swipe away from me.

Then, as if on cue, Vikram appeared. He was trying to hide his face, and looking around. I smiled to myself, and walked towards him. Vikram scrambled away.

"Dear me, I'm sorry, I can't really recognize you..." I said to Mrs. Kabra. She laughed, her beautiful amber eyes sparkling.

"It's okay, Hope. It's been quite a while...My, my, you grew so tall! And beautiful!"

"Thank you," I said. "Sorry, but I have to go now. I'll see you later?" I walked where I saw Vikram going. Vikram was talking to someone...Ah, Alistair. When Alistair saw me, he smiled.

"There is my favorite cousin," he told Vikram. Vikram muttered something and walked away. Alistair frowned.

"Hey, there, Ali," I said, walking over.

"Good evening, Hope. That was just - "

"Vikram Kabra."

"He didn't seem pleased when I mentioned you."

"Didn't Mom tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

I sighed. No matter how much I liked Alistair, or how kinder he was than the others, he was still and Ekaterina, and there was no telling what his uncle Bae would do to suck info out of him.

Alistair was in his late twenties, so I went to him for fatherly advice, since I couldn't do the same with others.

"Well, I see him at school, and we pretend to not know each other. Actually," I said, smiling. "_He_ doesn't know that I know that he's a Cahill."

"Nice touch," Alistair complemented.

"Um, did you ever have to pretend to date someone who doesn't know that you know that she's a Cahill?" There were a lot of knows, and I hoped Alistair would catch on.

"Yes, actually." Alistair had a deadly look on his face, and cringed. "You wouldn't believe it..._Cora_."

I gasped. "Cora James?" (**Note: I figured, since Jane Cahill's initials are J.C., Cora's would be C.J.**)

"Yes. Horrible. Completely dreadful. _I_ decided to ditch the mission after a while."

"I feel so bad for you."

"Be thankful you don't have pretend to date a Cahill." I shuddered slightly.

"I'll see you later, Alistair," I muttered, starting to walk away.

Every point I went to, there was Vikram, muttering to my relatives and walking away. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I went up to him, as quiet as a mouse, while he was talking to his mother. I smiled sweetly at her.

"Hope, darling! There you are! I guess my idiot of a son didn't see you yet. Honey, turn around," Mrs. Kabra told Vikram. He muttered something, probably thinking I hadn't recognized him yet. "Vikram, please. _Turn around_." Finally, Vikram turned. I pretended to gasp slightly, trying to look shocked. It worked. Vikram looked down.

"Say hello," Mrs. Kabra ordered. Did I mention how much I loved her?

"Hello, Hope," Vikram answered, still not looking up.

"Hey."

"I'll leave you two to consult.," Mrs. Kabra said. I smiled gratefully.

(**At a Balcony**)

"You could have just told me."

Vikram smiled sheepishly, and laced his fingers through mine.

"That you're dating your cousin?"

"Good point...But we're distant, right?"

"Of course. You never mentioned what branch you were, though," Vikram said.

"Uh...Um, you never mentioned you were a Cahill."

"Good point."

I stared out into the distance.

"Hey," I heard Vikram say, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"So, what branch are you?" I thought quick. Do I seem like an Ekat? A Lucian? A Janus? A -

"Hopey!" I clenched my teeth. Vikram raised his eyebrows, then set his jaw.

"Please don't tell me that's - "

"It is," I told Vikram.

Eisenhower Holt came through the doors.

Don't get me wrong. He's like an older brother...or cousin. (**Note: I thought since Hammy is like an older brother for Amy, Eisenhower and Hope would be like that...but it all ended when she married Arthur**)

But Eisenhower had his off moods very constantly nowadays.

"Hope!"

"Eisen!" He grabbed me and gave me a great bear hug. "How's college?" Eisenhower was only a year older than me, and not that smart.

"Horrible. Even Sherwood wouldn't know what's wrong with my roommate."

"I think it's Sher_lock_..."

"He is too smart!" Vikram let go of my hand.

"And is that a problem to you?" He asked Eisenhower. The Tomas narrowed his eyes, and for a moment, I imagined them just as Luke and Thomas Cahill, fighting.

"It isn't, and stay out of it, you butt head." Ouch. He sounded just like Brandon.

Before I could say anything, Vikram shot back. "Butt head? I believe that it is a terrible name on my behalf. I prefer _Vikram_."

Eisenhower stood close, and Vikram stood closer. Usually, compared to Eisenhower, no one came close to his height. But Vikram did.

Before it turned out to be a cliché, two boys fighting, movie scene, I started cracking up. They both looked at me.

"What is it?" Eisenhower asked, aggravated that I didn't let them fight.

"You guys look so funny!" I cracked up. "Eisen was like 'You wanna fight, little man?' And Vikram was like 'Let's do this, gorilla'." Though I knew it wasn't REALLY funny, they both slowly started laughing along as well.

Soon, my mom started ringing the manors bell. Time to leave.

"Well, Grace is certainly making these reunions longer," Eisenhower said. He was drunk. Really drunk.

"Dolt, she's making these reunions _shorter_, thankfully," Vikram said, winking at me. Eisenhower burped and I walked him to the door.

"I never asked, how's your girlfriend?" I asked him. Mary-Todd was a Tomas, but we never found out until later.

"She wants to call her kid 'Hamilton.'" He replied, burping.

"She's pregnant?"

"No."

"Then how - " I shook my head. "Never mind. Make sure not to drive, Eisenhower."

"Yes, yes, Hopey. Bye, my dear little cousin!" Eisenhower burped again. And this time, you could _tell_ he was drunk. He called me a 'dear little cousin'.

Later, I walked Vikram to his car.

"This has been a quite interesting night," Vikram said, getting into the driver's seat.

"I completely agree." Should I tell him I already knew? Should I ask if he's just using me? No. I won't. Mrs. Kabra got into her own car. Only the Kabras would have a car per person.

"Good night, Hope. I hope to see you soon?" She asked, smiling. I simply nodded.

"Good night," Vikram said quietly, pecking my cheek through the window. He drove off, and so did Mrs. Kabra, leaving me to wonder, what should I do? 

**This sounded like a drabble! Hope you enjoyed it! For those of you who were confused, it went from September to December. The next chapter will take place in January. Make sure to read "The Garden of the Hespidirides" by Goldie and me!**


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